


Scar Tissue

by DodgerBear



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: But probably need to tag more, Established Relationship, M/M, Tattoos, Teenage Yevgeny Milkovich, tagging is new to me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 16:04:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19397569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DodgerBear/pseuds/DodgerBear
Summary: Mickey and Ian try to cover up past mistakes.





	Scar Tissue

**Author's Note:**

> Another one I started a while back and only just got around to finishing. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! 🧡

“You promised.” Mickey eyed his boyfriend with determination. 

Ian sighed and stood up from the stool he was perched on in Mickey’s auto shop. “I know. But we rarely get an afternoon off together. I thought we could have some fun. Get lunch. Fool around. You know.”

Mickey shook his head firmly, backing away from Ian before he could wrap his arms around his middle and kiss his neck like he always did when he was being persuasive. It fucked Mickey off no end that he was so easily manipulated by Ian’s lips on his skin. “Nope. No dice. You promised. We’re doing this.”

“Fine.” Ian pouted and grabbed up his jacket. 

They were about to head out, Mickey yelling instructions to his assistant manager Pete as they made their way through the shop, when Yev appeared in the doorway. He was almost sixteen and had gone through a growth spurt over the summer that put him almost at Ian’s height and build. With his dark blond hair, navy blue eyes framed by thick black plastic rimmed glasses and a dimpled smile, Yev’s style was what you call hot nerd chic. 

“Hey kid.” Mickey greeted warmly. “What are you doing here?”

Yev hugged his father briefly and then embraced Ian. “School closed early. Some dumbass junior set fire to the science lab.”

“Cool.” Mickey grinned and Ian shook his head. 

“Not cool. He’s got third degree burns on his hands. Not ideal for a basketball player.” Yev snorted. 

“You think that’s gonna be the thing he misses most?” Mickey joked with a jerking hand motion. 

Yev screwed up his face. “Never really thought about that. Anyway...what’s goin on with you guys?”

Mickey looked at Ian and glared, making sure Ian knew he wasn’t getting out of their plans just because Yev was around. Their kid lived with them for the most part but he’d stayed with his mom for the last couple of nights. The house wasn’t the same when Yev wasn’t around. It was a house, not a home. Mickey wondered how the two of them would cope in a couple of years when Yev went off to college. He was already getting interest from some big schools because of his impressive grades and his swimming ability. The word scholarship was being thrown around so Mickey knew he’d be able to head wherever he wanted to go and it made Mickey and Ian proud as fuck. 

“We’ve got an errand to run. Wanna come with?” Mickey raised his brows. 

“Uh...” Yev weighed up his options. “Is it gonna be fun?”

Ian whistled through his teeth. “For you, probably.”

Yev grinned brightly. “I’m in.”

“Not what I expected.” Yev mused when the three of them stopped outside of a tattoo shop in downtown Chicago. 

Mickey smirked. “We’ve put it off long enough. We’re gettin our shitty tattoos covered up.”

Yev grinned. “All of them? That’s gonna take more than a day.”

Mickey swiped half-heartedly at his son’s upper arm. “Hey!”

Ian chuckled. “He wants the tits gone off my back.”

Yev nodded. “I get that. Not a great choice, Pops.”

“You know what else isn’t a great choice? Not taking your bipolar meds. It leads to even shittier choices.” Mickey rolled his eyes. 

Ian huffed in annoyance. “You think some inked on tits was the worst of it?”

“Nope. But it’s one we can fix. Let’s go.” Mickey clapped his hands. 

Ian stood rooted to the spot on the sidewalk outside of the shop. “I don’t want to.”

“You _promised_.” Mickey crossed his arms and glared at his partner. 

Ian levelled a firm stare back at him. “I know I did. But I changed my mind.”

“That’s not how promises work, dumb fuck.”

“Tough.”

Yev looked between the two like he was at a tennis match. He smirked when he realized things were about to get interesting. His two dads rarely argued anymore. The ticking of years going by meant they ran out of stuff to have full on blazing rows about a long time ago. These days they got their kicks out of bickering over not buying fresh milk (Ian) or forgetting to pay the gas bill (Mickey). But this was looking suspiciously like they were going back to the old days and were about to have a knock down brawl in the middle of West Belmont. Yev was ready to grab some popcorn and enjoy the show. 

“You’re seriously telling me you wanna have that monstrosity on your back until the day you die? I mean...I get that you can’t see it but I can. And trust me, Red, I need it gone. It really throws me off my groove.”

Yev curled his lip in disgust at the idea that his Dad even _had_ a groove. Sure, he was only like 34 and probably in his sexual prime but no. Just no. 

Ian shook his head. “Fuck no. Mine can go. You can do it yourself with a blow torch for all I care.”

Mickey raised his brows until they blended with his hairline. “So...? The fuck is your problem?”

Ian blushed and looked at the floor. “I kinda...well...I kinda love that you got my name on you.”

His words came out as a whisper but the traffic was quiet enough on the road that Mickey and Yev both heard him. 

Mickey started to laugh in disbelief. “That’s it? That’s why you’re backing out?”

Ian shrugged his shoulders like a petulant teenager. “Whatever.”

“Ian.” Mickey stated calmly like he was actually dealing with a small child. “It’s mostly scar tissue now. It’s a mess!”

Ian stepped closer to Mickey and stared down at him. “But it’s _my_ name. On _you_.”

“It’s not your name! I didn’t even check that the punk with the needle spelled it right!” Mickey’s voice rose in irritation, even though his dick was threatening to get hard at the possessive tone to Ian’s voice. It was probably only the presence of his son that stopped it actually happening. 

“Ugh. You’re doing that thing again.” Yev groaned. 

“What thing?” Ian asked him. 

“Where you look like you can’t decide if you’re gonna fight or fuck.” Yev sighed. 

Mickey laughed loudly. “We got a look?”

“Yeah. It’s kinda cool and kinda gross all at the same time.” Yev replied and reached for his cell from his jeans pocket when it beeped. “Amy wants to hang out...”

“What...you wanna pass up the chance to see us in pain?” Mickey smirked. 

“For Amy he’d pass up most things.” Ian teased. 

Yev rolled his eyes. “I don’t fancy her! Honestly. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Not us you gotta tell. It’s your face. Specifically the puppy dog eyes you get whenever she’s around.” Ian prodded Yev on the cheek. 

Yev squirmed away. “You’re such a child. Come on...I think I wanna get a tattoo.”

“Oh yeah? Think again.” Mickey retorted. 

“Come on, Dad. You were way younger than me when you got your first ink.”

Mickey nodded emphatically and held up both fists. “And look where that got me.”

“Let’s talk about this inside.” Yev started to walk towards the shop. 

Ian glanced at Mickey. “That Milkovich stubborn streak huh. What can you do?”

Mickey’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Fuck no. That’s all Gallagher.” He pointed at Yev accusingly. “He even does The Chin when he doesn’t get his own way.”

Yev shrugged. “I do.”

Ian laughed happily. “Alright. Come on. Let’s do this.”

Mickey checked them in at the shop and they waited for their tattoo artists in the waiting room. Yev flipped through the book of tattoo designs and one page in particular caught his eye. 

“Hey guys. Who’s getting inked today?” A young guy with a shaved head and neck tattoos asked. 

“All of us.” Yev spoke up quickly. 

The guy raised his eyebrows. “How old are you?”

“Almost 20. I just look young.” Yev replied smoothly. 

“Got any ID?”

“Not on me, no. I wasn’t expecting to get out of college early today. That’s my Dad though, he can vouch for me.” Yev said and pointed at Mickey. 

The guy looked at Mickey in disbelief. “Your Dad?”

Mickey coughed. “Yeah. I’m his Dad.”

“No fuckin way.”

Mickey narrowed his eyes. “Yes fuckin way. You never heard of teenagers having kids? Jesus. Now are we doing this or are you wasting my time?”

“Uh...sure.”

“I’ll go first.” Yev jumped up and followed the guy to his workstation. 

Mickey glanced at Ian. “Really freaks me out that the lies just roll off his tongue like that.”

Ian nodded. “Fuckin terrifying.”

They went to watch and Yev’s tattoo was stencilled onto his left pec. He was tall and lean but his chest muscles were nicely defined from all of the swimming he did. In less than ten minutes he was all done. 

“The fuck does that mean?” Mickey snapped in confusion. 

Ian read the inch high block script in black ink. “1001? I don’t get it...”

Yev just grinned broadly. “It’s meant to be significant to _me_.”

“Fair enough.” Ian smiled. “I’ll go next.”

The tattoo artist, Harvey, settled in to cover up Ian’s artwork while his colleague Woody took care of Mickey’s. They couldn’t see each other over the partition but they could hear the conversations happening at each station. 

“Hey Dad...you okay paying for mine? I gotta go meet Amy.” Yev smiled cheekily. 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “You’re nearly up to your overdraft limit, kiddo.”

Yev chuckled. “I know. I’ll pay you back.”

“Sure you will.” Mickey replied. “Go on. Don’t be late.”

Yev waved as he darted out of the shop and left Harvey gaping over the partition. “You really are his Dad huh.”

Mickey huffed a laugh. “Tell me about it.”

Harvey got back to his task and laughed at Ian’s back. 

“Man...this is a bad tattoo.”

Ian chuckled. “I know. Especially for a gay dude. It was a bad time in my life.”

Mickey scoffed. “Putting it mildly.”

“What was the logic dude?”

“There was no logic. We’d broken up, again, my mom had just died and I wasn’t taking my bipolar meds.” Ian replied easily. “But that’s all in the past. We’re sorted now.”

It was easy to talk about it now. It even felt like it happened to someone else a lot of the time. 

“Oh you guys are a couple?” Harvey seemed surprised. 

Mickey glanced over to them, his cheeks blushing. Ian smiled back at him. 

“Yup. On and off for a few years but back on for good for almost a decade.” Ian said proudly. 

Harvey smiled. “That’s cool, man. I guess I see why you don’t want these bazookas on your back.”

Ian grimaced. “I asked for a tribute to my mom. I didn’t ask for boobs.”

“You asked for a tribute to your dead mom and some jackass gave you this?” Harvey spluttered. 

Woody came around and looked at it, snorted with laughter and left again. 

“Damn that’s cold.” Harvey stated. 

“In the guy’s defense, I didn’t say it was for my mom. I didn’t call her mom. I used her name. The guy thought when I said Monica I meant a girlfriend.”

“He was wrong.” Mickey said simply and the two tattooists laughed. 

An hour later they were done. 

“Ready for the reveal?” Woody asked Mickey. 

The brunet bit his bottom lip nervously before he stood up. “Ready.”

“I tried my best, dude. But that was some thick scar tissue. It might not look as good as you want it to.”

Mickey barked out a laugh. “The Mexican gangbanger in C-block who did it never got round to showing me his certificates. I’m sure you got him pegged on quality, man.”

Woody’s eyes widened when he realized Mickey wasn’t joking. “Uh...okay.”

Ian appeared beside them. “Can I see?”

Mickey took a deep breath and turned to his boyfriend. Ian met his gaze and smiled reassuringly. Then his eyes dropped to Mickey’s chest, the patch of skin over his heart, and smiled so bright they didn’t need the halogen lights in the shop. 

“Wow. Mick. That’s...fuckin amazing.” Ian exhaled sharply. 

He reached out and ran his fingertips around the outer edge of Mickey’s new ink. Where the previous words used to be was now a shaded black and grey compass with intricate swirls and wisps of shade making it pop out. The compass points didn’t have labels, apart from the one pointing north. Where the N would be had been replaced by the word ‘Ian’ in old-English script. 

“You really like it?” Mickey bowed his head shyly. 

“I fuckin love it. I love you.” Ian replied and grabbed Mickey in a brief but hard kiss. 

“Lemme see yours.” Mickey pulled back and demanded, moving to get behind Ian. 

Harvey coughed and stepped away from Mickey slowly, meeting his colleague’s eye and gesturing for him to follow. Woody quietly slipped out of the booth, just as Mickey saw the tattoo on Ian’s back. 

“YOU FUCKIN ASSHOLE!” Mickey shrieked, shoving Ian in the middle of his back. 

Ian giggled. “What? I like it!”

“Mickey Mouse ears? MICKEY FUCKIN MOUSE EARS?! Are you fuckin kidding me?”

Mickey was livid and Ian was only making it worse by laughing happily at the reaction. 

“It’s kinda cute, Mick.”

“You are insane if you think that’s any better than the tits you had before. You’re a complete fuckin bastard and I hate you. Call Fiona. Tell her you’re sleepin on her couch tonight. All week. Forever. Jesus fuckin Christ Ian. You’re 32 years old!” Mickey ranted angrily. 

Ian reached out and stroked his hand down the back of Mickey’s neck. “Calm down.”

Mickey took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Nope. Still fuckin mad at you.”

Yev was watching a movie with Amy when the guys got home. 

“Hey! How’d it go?” He grinned. 

Ian beamed. “Awesome.”

“Fuck off.” Mickey snapped and stormed into their bedroom. 

Ian grinned even more brightly. “He doesn’t like my new tattoo.”

“He didn’t like your old tattoo. You can’t have gotten anything worse...”

Ian lifted up his shirt and showed the teenagers. Yev burst into howling laughter while Amy cooed that it was the sweetest thing she’d ever seen. Mickey appeared in the doorway with his arms full of pillows and a blanket. 

“Hope your back hurts and you get a crick in your neck.” He snarled and threw them at Ian. 

The redhead caught them with a laugh. “You gotta forgive me eventually.”

“Not today, Satan.” Mickey retorted. 

Yev lifted up his own shirt to check on his. “They did a good job. Mine doesn’t look like it’s even gonna scab over.”

Mickey stepped closer to check on it. “It’s pretty clean. Are you gonna tell me what the fuck 1001 means?”

Yev smiled shyly. “Okay. So...in Roman numerals 1000 is represented by the letter M and the letter I represents the number 1. So together you guys make 1001.”

Amy gasped dramatically. “That’s so cute!”

Ian’s jaw dropped open. “You got that for us?”

Yev nodded. “Of course. You guys are my heroes. I don’t know when I’ll ever settle down but when I do I want to have a love like yours. Because no matter what, shit tattoos and crazy families, you got each other. And you got my back, always.”

“Always.” Ian repeated, feeling a sting in his eyes that meant his body was fighting back tears. 

They both looked at Mickey, who was rooted to the spot and staring at Yev’s tattoo without blinking. 

“You okay, Dad?” Yev asked gently. 

Mickey nodded firmly but didn’t speak. Yev knew and Ian knew that if he did open his mouth his words would get stuck in his throat and his eyes would leak. 

“Don’t pretend you like it if you hate it.” Yev grinned. 

“I love it.” Mickey croaked. 

“Thanks.”

Ian took the serene, family moment to grab his chance at sleeping in his own bed tonight with the man he loved. He sloped quietly to the side of the room before Mickey spotted him trying to escape. 

“Hey!” Mickey yelled but Ian was too fast as he took off running into their bedroom with his partner hot on his heels. The door slammed shut with the two men inside, leaving Yev and Amy giggling on the couch. 

“Let’s go to your place.” Yev rose to his feet and switched off the tv. 

“Why? I’m comfortable here...”

There was a loud thud from the bedroom followed by a breathy moan. Yev pointed to the bedroom door. 

“That’s why. Let’s go before they break the sound barrier. Again.” He marched them outside and locked Mickey and Ian inside, having their best make up sex in a long time. 


End file.
